Page 20 - Florida Sentinel 3-23-18

Recipes
Palm Sunday is the Sunday before Easter,
the last Sunday in Lent. This year, Palm Sunday is observed on Sunday, March 25, 2018 and begins the Christian com- memoration of Holy Week.
On Palm Sunday, Jesus entered the Holy City of Jerusalem surrounded by a crowd of followers. Today, the palms distrib- uted on this day in many Christian churches signify the branches that were spread on the road as Jesus approached.
This last Sunday of Lent is also called Passion Sunday. The Biblical accounts of the last days of Christ's life tell the story. As Christ returned to Jerusalem to celebrate Passover with his followers, the crowds who were eager to proclaim him the Mes- siah, and "took branches of palm trees, and went forth to meet him, and cried, Hosanna: Blessed is the King of Israel that cometh in the name of the Lord." (John 12:13)
Palm leaves symbolize victory and joy.
Salt Fish
Bakaliaros (bah-kahl-YAH-ros) is cod that has been preserved in salt. A tradi- tional dish for Palm Sunday, this tasty fish can be batter-fried or baked and is deli- cious with a tangy garlic dip.
Ingredients:
Large pieces of salt cod
2 cups self-rising flour
Approximately 2 cups water
Dash salt (or to taste)
Dash freshly ground black pepper (or to
taste)
Canola or vegetable oil for frying
Directions:
Rinse the fish under cold water and re- move any scales or visible bones. Soak in cold water for at least 12 hours, changing out the water a few times. Cut the fish into 2-inch pieces and set aside on a plate.
Split Pea Soup
Peas or carlings were traditionally consumed on Palm Sunday, and is de- rived from the ancient practice of wear- ing a hard pea in the shoe as penance during Lent.
Ingredients:
1 pound dried split peas
1 ham bone, 2 ham hocks, or 2 cups diced ham
3 quarts chicken broth and water 1 cup chopped celery
1 cup chopped onion
1 cup coarsely chopped carrots
1 clove garlic, pressed
1 teaspoon ground thyme
2 bay leaves
salt and black pepper to taste a few dashes Tabasco sauce
1 cup sherry or dry white wine
Fig Pudding
Palm Sunday is also known as Fig Sunday because tradition maintains that Jesus ate figs after his entry into Jerusalem.
Ingredients:
1/2 cup sugar
1/3 cup butter
2 cups bread crumbs
1 cup milk
4 eggs
1/4 cup flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
cinnamon
nutmeg
cloves
1/2 cup figs
1 cup seeded raisins
Lemon Sauce or Hard Sauce (see recipe)
Make the Batter
Add the flour to a large bowl. Using a whisk, slowly whisk in the water until a thick batter forms. You don’t want it to be runny, it should be thicker so that it can ad- here to the fish without running off. Season the batter generously with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
In a large skillet or frying pan, heat the oil over medium-high heat until a droplet of water sizzles and jumps when dropped in the pan. If you have an oil/candy thermometer, the temperature of the oil should be at least 350 F (175 C).
Dip the fish in the batter and carefully place it in the hot oil. Fry the fish until golden brown on each side then remove and drain on paper towels. Place the fish on a baking rack over a sheet pan in a warm oven to keep it warm and crisp until ready to serve.
Serve with the delicious garlic dip.
Heart Of Palm And Avocado Salad
Heart of palm is a vegetable har- vested from the inner core and grow- ing bud of certain palm trees.
Ingredients:
Directions:
Put all ingredients (except wine/sherry) into a large soup pot. Bring to a boil, then re- duce to a simmer and cook for 2 hours. Add white wine or sherry (and sausage) and cook for another 20 minutes. Remove bay leaves and serve.
Serve with crusty French bread, Southern biscuits, or cornbread, perhaps a salad to round it all off.
Directions:
Cream the sugar and butter, add the bread crumbs and milk, and mix thor- oughly. Add the beaten eggs, the flour sifted with salt and baking powder and a pinch of each of the spices, the figs which have been chopped, and the raisins. Fill a greased pudding mold three-quarters full, cover tightly, and steam for three hours. Serve with lemon sauce.
1 cherry
cup yellow tomatoes,
halved
1/2 small sweet onion, cut into thin slivers
Two 14-ounce cans hearts of palm, drained and sliced
1/2 inch thick
1 Hass avocado, cut into 1/2-inch pieces 1/4 cup coarsely chopped flat-leaf parsley 1/2 teaspoon finely grated lime zest
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice 2 tablespoons mayonnaise
2 tablespoons canola oil
Salt
Freshly ground pepper
PAGE 8-B FLORIDA SENTINEL BULLETIN PUBLISHED EVERY TUESDAY AND FRIDAY FRIDAY, MARCH 23, 2018